Four current Miami Hurricanes and five UM recruits could be taken in the MLB Draft

The 2020 MLB Draft, set for Wednesday and Thursday, will have a major impact on the Miami Hurricanes.

Judging by Baseball America’s rankings, the Hurricanes could lose four players and five recruits in this year’s five-round draft.

The locks to get drafted — likely toward the back half of the first round — are right-handers Chris McMahon and Slade Cecconi.

“Chris took a step this year in becoming more efficient and going deeper in games,” Canes coach Gino DiMare said of McMahon, who went 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in four starts.

“And Slade’s velocity has been clocked as high as 98, 99 [mph]. But his biggest strength is that he’s a strike thrower.”

Elsewhere, Canes shortstop Freddy Zamora, who missed the abbreviated 2020 season after knee surgery, could be among the 160 players drafted … or he may return to Miami for 2021. Teammate Alex Toral, a power-hitting first baseman, also appears to be a possible late-round pick.

Right-handers Victor Mederos and Alejandro Rosario and shortstop Yohandy Morales are most likely to get drafted among Canes recruits. Two other Canes recruits — catcher Carlos Perez and shortstop Sammy Infante — are possible late-round picks.

The shortstop position at Miami in 2021 will be particularly fascinating to watch as the candidates — depending on the draft — include Zamora, Morales, Infante and also Anthony Vilar, who started there this year following Zamora’s injury.

Miami’s 2021 rotation, which will feature ace Brian Van Belle, could get hit hard this week if McMahon, Cecconi, Mederos and Rosario are all drafted and eventually sign.

McMahon and Cecconi figure to be the first Hurricanes pitchers to get drafted in the top two rounds since Andy Suarez (Giants, second round, 2015). The last first-round Canes pitchers were Carlos Gutierrez (2008), Chris Perez (2006) and Cesar Carillo (2005).

To put that in perspective: One of Miami’s biggest rivals, Florida, has had seven first-round pitchers in the past seven years, allowing the Gators to surge ahead of the Hurricanes as a state and national power, at least for the moment.

McMahon, a 6-2, 215-pound junior whose fastball sits 92-94 mph and has touched 97, was dominant this year. In 25.2 innings, he struck out 38, walked five and allowed batters to hit just .207.

“You always hear, ‘Keep the ball down.’ But Chris happens to be very effective up in the zone,” DiMare said. “His changeup is very good. In the pros, he will sharpen his off-speed pitches.”

Cecconi, a 6-4, 220-pound draft-eligible sophomore, wasn’t quite as stellar as McMahon this year. Starting on Sundays — one day after McMahon — Cecconi went 2-1, 3.80.

But that’s only part of the story. Cecconi held batters to a .190 average with 30 strikeouts and seven walks in 21.1 innings.

He also has perhaps the highest spin-rate numbers in the nation. According to Miami’s coaches, Cecconi’s average spin rate this season was 2541, which would be high even for a major-leaguer.

“If Slade comes back for another year,” DiMare said, “I think he could go in the top half of the first round [in 2021].”

But if Cecconi and McMahon both sign this year — as expected — the Canes would love for Mederos and Rosario to come to school and compete for jobs in the 2021 rotation.

Mederos, a 6-4, 215-pounder who reminds some scouts of former Marlins star Jose Fernandez, has two devastating pitches: a fastball that consistently clocks in at 95 mph and a wipeout curve. His career prep numbers, however, are underwhelming: 8-7, 3.68 ERA, 128 strikeouts, 51 walks, 78 innings.

Rosario, a 6-1, 165-pounder, is considered undersized but has reached 99 mph on his electric fastball. Scouts, however, want to see more deception in his arsenal, and his slider and split-change need refinement.

If he sinks far enough in the draft, there’s a chance Rosario and fellow Miami Christian senior right-hander Carlos Rodriguez will reunite at UM.

Rodriguez, a 6-0, 185-pounder whose fastball has topped out at 96 mph, went 10-9 with a 1.74 ERA, two saves and 213 strikeouts (128.2 innings) in his prep career. Rosario went 13-3 with a 1.67 ERA, four saves and 165 strikeouts (142.2 innings).